Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Disruptive Technology

10 Years Later : Still Full of Surprises 2


SLOWEXPOSURES 2015

LOOKING AT 2 PICTURES

Jake Deese    Cody, Kimmy, David, and Stormy.Looking closely at details
Henry Jacobs    River Boys

After the exhibition was installed we began to notice that certain images created dialogues 
once you begin to spend time with them and look into the photograph's space and try to
find details about what is going on.Today Eye Caramba wrote on a Facebook post" Disruptive technology "
I love the pairing of these two words When I spoke about these two images I said I felt the photographer had 
intruded into a golden moments of youthful summers. 

Can we remember them without a snapshot.

Jake Deese's quartet of teenagers resting after river rafting are interesting because they are giving as much
as they are getting. Each one has an attitude from indifferent to agitated to cool disdain.Everything from posture to clothing
(what little) and facial mask add to our memories of being a teenager.The look of I am bothered but I am too cool to be.

Henry Jacobs' River Boys is gentle in its composition and the amount of space,light , river and sky each boy is given.
There is an airy idyllic sense to the day,just boys fishing.A timeless story I think I should let the artist speak here
" Chattahoochee river boys | The water moved steadily over and down the fifteen foot high dam, these young teenage boys out on the top ledge with their fishing poles like those before them have done for generations. I happened to be out on the river for @crkeeper when I passed by the scene early one summer morning. Fast forward to this weekend, and I had the opportunity to show it in good company with other photographers whose work was selected for Slow Exposures, a show that celebrates the rural south. Proud of that, and eager now to continue working on the river and sharing moments like this." like I said just boys fishing in the golden glow of youth and summer.

10 Years Later : Still Full of Surprises


SLOWEXPOSURES 2015
SNOW STORM
Preston Gannaway


Snow storm,, from the series Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, Norfolk VA,    Preston Gannaway Okland CA

Just got back from the Southland.This year Jerry Atnip and I were ask to be jurors for the 13th annual Slowexposures competition. I had previously juried this event in 2005 with Celina Lunsford. At that time we created a little stir by choosing Wrapped Turkeys by Andy Scott of Atlanta for the first prize . Sometimes things change and sometimes they don't

Ten years doesn't seem like a long time anymore.Many changes have taken place not just the war between analog and digital but also the way we view pictures,what do they meanI think in this era while we are bombarded by images and on overload,we still want to be able to feel a connection.

Jerry and I decided not only to jury but curate an exhibition that reflected something about the south.Trying to avoid cliches and yet holding on to the idea of what is the South. Picture of old barns, rusted trucks, coca cola signs even kudzu, magnolia and cotton can be photograph in many places.Exotic locals can be found anywhere as well as the downtrodden and cute kids.

Jerry has just did an interview with Sally Mann and that old question was asked what/where is the South ? Like many a feel it more than see it. It is a Neverland that exist to varying degrees in our hearts and no two descriptions will ever be the same.Because each is based on the histories and memories we can remember but never fully describe.We know it, it is formed in our childhood , always stays beyond our grasp our real reality.

Which brings me to our winner this year, Snow Storm by Preston Gannaway when announced people look at us in disbelief. Even as they congratulated us on a solid selection of photographs how could this one win? To be honest the image was beautifully print and presented, In this image a complete world was shown,like a dream, it had a mood of quiet wistfulness.A moment we could all recognize that first snow.

I got my first Brownie camera,took a picture of a solumn little snowman and that was it. Funny ting when the exhibition came down a number of people came up to us to say they had snow pictures in their family albums 

Snow has always been a mystery and an occasion to celebrate in the deep South but this time it was a hot September day.

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